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Lunch » Tags » Books » Reviews » Catfish, Yaz, And Hammerin' Hank: The Unforgettable Era that Transformed Baseball

Catfish, Yaz, And Hammerin' Hank: The Unforgettable Era that Transformed Baseball

1 rating: 5.0

A book by Phil Pepe

FormerNew York Daily Newsbeat reporter Pepe considers the 1970s to be the decade that changed baseball, and he makes a strong case. In the seventies, the reserve clause was replaced by free agency (1975), leading to the first -million-dollar contract … see full wiki

Tags: Books

Author: Phil Pepe

Publisher: Triumph Books

1 review about Catfish, Yaz, And Hammerin' Hank: The Unforgettable...

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Oral history of the MLB '70s Show

Feb 15, 2011

by TStocksl
posted in Cafe Libri: Reviewing Books & More

Exclusive to the Lunch Network

Rating:

Phil Pepe has written and ghostwritten many sports books, and in this outing he puts together a fast moving oral history of the 1970s on and off the diamond.

The decade started with the game-changing off-the-field salvo of Curt Flood's challenge to the reserve clause, and ended with the on-the-field triumph of the 1979 "We are Fam-a-lee" Pittsburgh Pirates in the bold gold stretch double-knit and stovepipe hats. Pepe weaves together short recaps of key events with long quotes from key participants like

Marvin Miller, the union lawyer who made the MLB Players Association a real union with power to change the game.
Billy Martin, the flamboyant and lamented late manager who helped remake the Yankee legacy in between sparring rounds with the Boss.
Reggie Jackson, the loud and powerful slugger and helped the two dynasties of the decade (the Oakland A's and the Yankees) keep a hammerlock on the World Series.
Tommy John, the pitching master who gave his name to the surgery that remade the careers of every pitcher thereafter.

The stories between the lines, at the negotiating table, and in the locker room help explain the eternal draw of America's game during a decade of transition while it was still at the peak of its cultural, entertainment, and athletic influence. It was (and may be the last) decade when baseball's superstars outshone those on the basketball court or football field. Pete, Hank, Reggie, Nolan, were some of the first one-name superstars everybody knew.

The book comes with a DVD with a 45-minute documentary which is more of a history of labor problems fighting the reserve clause than it is of the decade. The best part of the DVD are the interviews with Catfish Hunter, whose North Carolina drawl and knack for storytelling should have earned him his own hour. The DVD material was not up to the quality of the book.

If you are are of an age to remember baseball in the glory days of the 1970s you will love this book and wish there was more.

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drifter51 二月 15, 2011

Sounds like a terrific read! I will certainly be on the lookout for his one. If you enjoyed this book might I recommend "A Well Paid Slave: Curt Flood's Fight For Free Agency in Professional Sports" which I have reviewed here on Lunch and is the best sports book I have ever read.

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